The BJP and the Congress are the identical, mentioned Samajwadi Occasion chief Akhilesh Yadav.
| Photograph Credit score: PTI
The much-vaunted concept of a united Opposition in Uttar Pradesh goes right into a tailspin, with high Opposition leaders — together with Samajwadi Occasion (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Occasion (BSP) supremo Mayawati and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary — more likely to skip the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra when it enters the State subsequent week.
The Congress mentioned it had invited a number of leaders of non-BJP events in Uttar Pradesh to participate within the yatra, which is able to go by means of three districts within the State — Ghaziabad, Baghpat and Shamli.
No invite: Akhilesh
“Our occasion has a unique ideology. The BJP and the Congress are the identical. In case you have an invite in your telephone, please ship it to me,” mentioned Mr. Yadav, when requested by reporters about becoming a member of the yatra. Nevertheless, in the identical dialog, he added, “Our sentiments are with their yatra”, though he denied receiving any invite. Each the SP and the RLD have maintained that their leaders have their very own engagements and are specializing in strengthening their respective events.
The SP and RLD leaders additionally say that the Congress isn’t a participant on the State’s electoral chessboard, nor a vote multiplier for any potential future alliance, whereas its claims of being a fulcrum in any pan-India Opposition alliance are uncertain. Therefore, they’re retaining a distance from the yatra, so they aren’t seen as being within the Congress’ shadows.
Within the case of Ms. Mayawati, she has lengthy been crucial of the Congress, accusing it of being anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit.
Additionally Learn | Rahul Gandhi to resume Bharat Jodo Yatra from Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar on Jan 3
“The yatra isn’t a political yatra. It’s for saving the ethos and custom of a pluralist and democratic India. We welcome all those that are becoming a member of it and in addition these whose sentiments are with the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” senior All India Congress Committee functionary Surendra Rajput advised The Hindu.
Muslim voters at stake
It is usually believed that the route of the yatra which passes by means of the delicate districts of Shamli and Bhagpat, each of which have sizeable Muslim populations of about 30%, has additionally precipitated concern. The opposite Opposition events really feel that by means of the yatra, the Congress is by some means attempting to make inroads among the many minority neighborhood which the SP-RLD alliance think about as their core voter base. The BSP can also be eyeing the Muslim vote, notably in western UP. The current induction of influential Muslim face Imran Masood into the BSP is being seen as a step to achieve out to Muslims within the area.
“It’s sure that the opposite Opposition events are cautious of the yatra passing by means of these districts and suppose that it if strengthens the grand outdated occasion, it will likely be at the price of weakening different Opposition teams, therefore they aren’t ,” mentioned Manindra Nath Thakur, a political scientist educating on the Centre for Political Research in Jawaharlal Nehru College.
Additionally Learn | Akhilesh Yadav, Jayant Chaudhary unlikely to attend Bharat Jodo Yatra in Uttar Pradesh
The yatra will enter Uttar Pradesh by means of Loni in Ghaziabad district on January 3 and head to Mavi Kalan in Baghpat. It would go by means of Sisana, Sarurpur and Barot in Baghpat on January 4, after which it’ll enter Shamli district’s Kandhla, Uncha village and Kairana earlier than crossing over into Haryana.
Divided Opposition weaker
Analysts additionally really feel that within the politically essential State which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha, such skepticism and slim concerns might hurt the Opposition’s prospects to defeat the BJP. Solely a united entrance can pose a problem to the saffron occasion in view of outcomes from the previous two polls the place the hole in vote share between the BJP and its principal challenger was not less than of 10%.
Within the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s vote share was about 49%, which was 10% greater than the SP-BSP alliance. Within the 2022 Meeting elections, the distinction within the vote share of the principle Opposition alliance led by the SP and the ruling occasion was 10%. Within the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP gained 11% extra votes than the SP-Congress alliance.
“Solely a united Opposition has the potential to emerge victorious in Uttar Pradesh in opposition to a sturdy social and caste mixture of the BJP,” added Mr. Thakur.
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